AMC Eagle intermittent no-start

[Grand_Wag_85]

Got an '84 AMC Eagle with the 258.

Running the stock ignition WITH the nutter bypass.

Running the carter feedback BBD but the electricals are disconnected.

Been having this issue where the car will fire right up on the first crank but immediately stall when the key is released from START to RUN.

I replaced the coil and the under column ignition switch which seemed to have cured the problem for a day or two. This morning it started acting up all over again. I put in my brand new spare ignition module but the car didn't even sputter with the new one. I left it until I came home from work, put the old module in and it fired up. It did take a couple of tries and some playing with the throttle but it runs now as if nothing happened this morning.

Only thing I can think of is the pickup module in the distributor. What do you guys think? Does the V8 Duraspark use the same one as the I6?

[carnuck]

Possibly. I'm going HEI to make sure that's not a problem.

[jaber]

X2, just before I got my SX4, I rebuilt a CJ for a guy and he bought a new Skip White, so I got his old one. It has been doing awesome on that little car. Next for mine is a webber...

[Stuka]

Possibly. I'm going HEI to make sure that's not a problem.

The HEI still has a magnetic pickup that can fail.

[Stuka]

It could be the magnetic pickup in the distributer. But they typically show signs of being bad when they get hot. Then they will work again once they cool.

It would not hurt to replace it, except that they are kind of a pain to get adjusted right. I typically use it as a sign to replace the distributer.

[Grand_Wag_85]

HEI is the eventual plan, got it on the J10 and it runs like a champ.

It gave me issues again this morning and coughed up a storm when it finally started. Put a good 8hrs of run time on it today and several times after stop and go driving it started running chunky. With some revving and heavy acceleration it ran great.

Pretty sure I've got an electrical gremlin going on.

[carnuck]

or a flood/starve situ

[Stuka]

Does this engine have a BBD on it?

[carnuck]

says so in the OP

[Grand_Wag_85]

Does this engine have a BBD on it?

Yup. Electrical wires were cut by a 'mechainic' working on the car a couple years ago but it's always ran good regardless.

[Stuka]

The wanting to die at idle sounds like the typical BBD issue where it dumps too much fuel in because it is not being atomized, but rather just big drips are dropping in. When I had that issue it made starting a little hard, had to hold the throttle open. It may not be your issue, but its a possibility.

[Grand_Wag_85]

The wanting to die at idle sounds like the typical BBD issue where it dumps too much fuel in because it is not being atomized, but rather just big drips are dropping in. When I had that issue it made starting a little hard, had to hold the throttle open. It may not be your issue, but its a possibility.

When it's acting up about the only way to get it going is to hold the throttle wide open and there's a ton of spitting and sputtering before it'll catch and run good. I guess it's probably time to swap out carbs anyway.

[Stuka]

Ahh, that completely lines up with the typical BBD fuel delivery issues.

Its not hard to clean it up and get it going again. I did it pretty often until I swapped over to a Weber.

[Grand_Wag_85]

About 6 months back I drilled out the idle tubes because it would NOT idle and did a thorough cleaning, ran great for awhile. I was really hoping I wouldn't need to touch it again for another year or two...lol

What part of the carb should I be looking at?

[Stuka]

About 6 months back I drilled out the idle tubes because it would NOT idle and did a thorough cleaning, ran great for awhile. I was really hoping I wouldn't need to touch it again for another year or two...lol

What part of the carb should I be looking at?

This has a walk through towards the bottom: http://www.jeeptech.com/engine/carter.html

[carnuck]

Just for giggles, before you pull it, cross #1 and #6 wires at the cap with the air cleaner lid off and make it pop a couple times. Had to do that to my BBD 3 or 4 times a year if I got watery gas.